Sparks top Atlanta to keep playoff hopes alive

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. — Brittney Sykes scored 17 points, Nneka Ogwumike had 15 points and 10 rebounds and the Sparks bushed the Atlanta Dream, 74-68, connected Thursday nighttime to support their WNBA playoff hopes alive.

The Sparks (12-19) are successful ninth place, a half-game down the Washington Mystics for the last playoff spot. The Sparks adjacent the regular play Sunday astatine Dallas. The Mystics (who are 12-18 with a tie-breaking head-to-head grounds of 2-1 vs. L.A.) play astatine New York connected Friday and big Minnesota connected Sunday.

If Washington wins either of its games, it clinches the playoff berth and Coach Derek Fisher’s Sparks squad volition miss the postseason for conscionable the 5th clip successful the franchise’s 25-year history.

Te’a Cooper added 14 points and Nia Coffey had 10 for the Sparks connected Thursday.

Tiffany Hayes led Atlanta (8-23) with 25 points for her eighth 20-point crippled of the season. Courtney Williams had 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Odyssey Sims scored 11 points.

The Dream look WNBA-leading Connecticut connected Sunday to adjacent their regular season. Atlanta is 1½ games up of last-place Indiana.